The new Ginetta GT Academy champions will be crowned in the 2024 season finale this weekend on the Brands Hatch Grand Prix circuit, with four drivers in contention across the GTA and rookie classes.
The rookie contenders have been the class of the field this season and that title will go to either Mike Taylor or Harry Gamble, while the battle for the GTA honours is going down to a duel between Julian Wantling and Marc Elman across the final three races of the campaign.
Taylor (W2R) is the favourite to walk away as the latest rookie champion this weekend, having scored no less than seven race victories so far. That included a perfect four wins from four races at Anglesey, with that points haul proving particularly crucial for him in his quest for title glory.
While it’s a long shot for Gamble to emerge victorious, he won’t go down without a fight. The Elite Motorsport ace heads into the weekend full of confidence after a brilliant double win last time out at Donington Park, which moved him to 12 rookie podiums for the campaign – more than anyone else.
In the GTA class, Wantling (E3 Sport) kicked off the year with four wins in a row and has been a near-permanent presence on the podium since, only finishing outside the top three a couple of times. That consistency, plus two further victories, has earnt him a 34-point lead in the standings.
That lead is halved though once dropped scores are applied though, meaning Elman (SVG Motorsport) heads into the final three races right in the hunt. He outscores his rival with seven class wins and is the in-form driver, with four of those victories coming in the last six races.
Outside of the title contenders, two other drivers have taken GTA class wins this year. Three victories for Emma Tomlinson (W2R) have guaranteed her third in the final standings, while Amy Tomlinson (W2R) won on the first visit to Donington Park in May.
James Nicholas (W2R) may have dropped out of rookie title contention, but the inaugural PalmerSport Ginetta Scholarship winner is definitely one to watch having won five times this year. Thomas Balfe (W2R) and Luke Shaw (Raceway Motorsport) have celebrated victories too, at Snetterton and Donington respectively.
Ali Juffali (Elite Motorsport) will be full of confidence after picking up a maiden rookie podium last time out at Donington, with Peter Thompson (W2R) and Jamie Caudle (E3 Sport) also carrying momentum after adding to their podium tallies earlier this month.
The GTA class entry is completed by Mike West (E3 Sport), who has picked up five podium finishes across the campaign, and Phil McGarty (Xentek Motorsport), who is bringing his tenth consecutive season of Ginetta racing to a close this weekend.
The rookie contingent also includes Gilbert Verdian (SVG Motorsport) and W2R pair Lucie Hodgson and Paul Thomas, while guest drivers this weekend are familiar Ginetta racers Charlotte Lowe (W2R) and Robin Grimwood (E3 Sport), plus car-racing debutant Oliver Fordam (Fox Motorsport).
Follow the action across the weekend on social media, @GinettaCars.
Provisional Timetable:
Saturday 28 September: Qualifying 10:40; Race One 15:25
Sunday 29 September: Race Two 12:40; Race Three 18:05
All three races will be streamed live on Ginetta’s YouTube channel, while live timing and results will be available via TSL Timing.
